Liberation of Enschede & Hengelo (1 - 3 April 1945)

[@paulbaker5658]

My dad was part of the liberation troops, he served with 61st Ant Tank RA 51st Highland Division. He met my mother during liberation of Enschede and they married in Enschede 1946.

[@nol7034]

My Mother survived the war in Enschede. One of her most often told stories was when the English/Canadian tanks rolled into town one stopped in the street and the local kids started clambering all over it. This lasted a few minutes before a sniper opened up fairly close and the tank crew ran all the kids off. She said all the kids then went rummaging through a school that German troops had been using as a barracks for several years near her house. She was 14 at the time. It was amazing to be able to actually see film of part of what she lived through. Thank you for posting this.

[@Bruce-1956]

They would be British tanks not English.

[@nol7034]

@@Bruce-1956 What she said was English and Canadian. She was probably not as astute about the British empire as you seem to be. She was just grateful, then and for the rest of her life.

[@blackvulcan100]

@@nol7034 well said ..

[@paulbaker5658]

My dad was part of the liberation troops, he served with 61st Ant Tank RA 51st Highland Division. He met my mother during liberation of Enschede and they married in Enschede 1946.

[@Manilasailor]

My dad was with an anti aircraft regiment attached to the 7th Armoured Division. He told me that they were stationed near Enschede after the town was liberated and a football match was arranged between the British Army and FC Twente. My dad, being a decent footballer, was asked to play but as FC Twente didn't have enough to make 11 players my dad was told to play for FC Twente. He was always proud of that fact. I've never been able to verify this.

[@BobSmith-dk8nw]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FC_Twente .

[@Vrunck]

www.tracesofwar.com/upload/articles/1379200321132322k.jpg

[@je710817]

Wow cool! Thank you for his service and respect

[@BobSmith-dk8nw]

@@Vrunck Really nice map. .

[@richardmiranda640]

What!

[@mphaan]

My father was there as a little boy and would like to say "Thank you for liberating us."

[@Surv1ve_Thrive]

🇬🇧👍🇱🇺 bedankt.

[@AlexanderJScheu]

Marc de Haan, I guess you are from NL; what do you think - did NL-Army liberate * Indonesia !?? with +- 260.000 murdered Civilians.....by NL-Armed-Forces......

[@mphaan]

@@AlexanderJScheu Dude we sucked those islands dry for centuries and wanted more. Then those pesky inlanders wanted freedom so we killed the lot. The Americans said "no more" so we had to leave. Why work if you can have a whole country with slaves?

[@mphaan]

@@Ricardo-cl3vs No I did not, I was born in '73. Do you feel guilty for what your countrymen did years or centuries ago? Then all of us should feel guilty. Where does that end?

[@Ricardo-cl3vs]

@@mphaan No, I agree with you. I just was confused because you wrote: "we sucked those islands dry for centuries and wanted more. Then those pesky inlanders wanted freedom so we killed the lot".

[@stormvogel6]

Mooi stukje geschiedenis...duidelijke en mooie zwart/wit beelden...met een duidelijk beeld hoe gerechtigheid er uit moet zien....bedankt voor de upload!!!

[@davidprins5504]

De beeld kwaliteit is echt fantastisch

[@henkholsbeeke1611]

Wat een mooie beelden Frank. Enkele plekken zijn nog herkenbaar. Jammer dat het mooie stadhuis uit Hengelo toentertijd is gesloopt.

[@Vrunck]

Bedankt Henk. Nu is het vrijwel onmogelijk dat er een gebouw lelijker is dan het huidige stadhuis in Hengelo.

[@Vrunck]

De beelden bevat een beschrijvingen wat er op welk tijdstip te zien is. maar die bevatten fouten. een voorbeeld: 02:05 een geblindeerde White halftrack verlaat modderige Nieuwe Grensweg en slaat rechtsaf naar het vliegveld. In het beeld zie je aan de linkerkant een straatnaambordje waar je op 02:20 kan lezen horstlindeweg en dus niet de nieuwe grensweg.

[@johnwright291]

Most of the german prisoners in films like this look like they're relieved that its over.

[@Ricardo-cl3vs]

Most probably were.

[@williamgunnarsson]

It's wonderful to see those people so happy with their new-found freedom.

[@Ubique2927]

Posted to RAF Laarbruch in the 70’s. Visited the area many times.

[@Chiller01]

I believe the Canadians liberated Hengelo at this time. They had entered the Netherlands from the east. Incidentally the Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip mentioned Hengelo in a song “The Hundreth Meridian” after a concert they had given there.

[@Vrunck]

It’s a bit complicated regarding the nationality of the liberating forces, because the ‘boundary line’ between the Canadians 🇨🇦 and British forces 🇬🇧 ran between the Enschede and Hengelo. Also the ambush of elements of the guards armoured division at the Lonneker bridge required units of the Canadian army to reinforce the area.

[@annekekramer3835]

In my grandmother's memory the Canadians liberated Enschede. Perhaps that played a role in the fact that most of the family migrated to Canada after the war.

[@Vrunck]

@@annekekramer3835 Enschede was liberated by British troops actually. Units of the Guards armoured division reached Enschede first, but didn't stay for long, because they continued to advance to Germany. In the subsequent days and weeks many Allied units traveled though Enschede. In addition several Canadian units were stationed in Enschede for several weeks after VE day onwards.

[@Vrunck]

@@annekekramer3835 www.tracesofwar.com/upload/articles/1379200321132322k.jpg

[@jessetwentenaer441]

Hallo, zijn deze beelden auteursrechten vrij? Ik zou graag een aantal fragmenten hiervan willen gebruiken voor mijn inzending naar de 'otherstoriesarttour' Enschede. Ik hoop dat dat kan?

[@Vrunck]

Ja, deze beelden vallen onder het Public Domain Mark (Je mag het werk zonder toestemming kopiëren, veranderen, verspreiden en uitvoeren, zelfs voor commerciële doeleinden) Hier is de originele locatie vpro.openbeelden.nl/media/778580/Bevrijding_Enschede_en_Hengelo.nl -> een waarschuwing vooraf. In de beschrijving die bij de beelden staan zitten fouten, dus ik zou ze niet direct overnemen zonder controle.

[@jessetwentenaer441]

@@Vrunck top, super bedankt!

[@terrystephens1102]

This must have been a wonderful time for the very courageous Dutch people who suffered so much at the hands of the Nazis.

[@robgerhardterellen1488]

Belangrijk dat de NAVO er is, meer dan 75 jaar al geen oorlog meer, ook in Enske en Weendbuuln dorp. Goat goan, mangs wa ait nich.

[@shlomi8307]

What happened to synagog enschede? Also 1945 blvd

[@deetyashetty5391]

The synagog is still there. And 1945 blvd has changed a lot, very commercial!

[@shlomi8307]

@@deetyashetty5391 wow how about the hotel?

[@petersmithm9]

Only today have I just finished reading a book about The Sherwood Rangers and their exploits in Northern Europe. It mentions their part in the liberation of Enschede and Hengelo. Here I am now wondering if these men I'm seeing are the individuals mentioned in the book.

[@Vrunck]

It’s highly likely that some of them are the men in the book

[@art_with_set]

0:09 😳 wat doet hij nou?

[@Vrunck]

Dat zijn vrouwen die met de Duitsers een relatie hadden. Eentje lijkt onwel te worden, dus hij houdt haar vast en probeert haar wakker te houden.

[@Vrunck]

Ik heb in de beschrijving wat tijdpunten ingevoerd. Ik zal de rest binnenkort ook toevoegen

[@art_with_set]

@@Vrunck bedankt voor je uitleg 🌺

[@edpzz]

8;50 , Proper British Soldier, all you realy need in Battle is a good walking stick.

[@glacialmobbs7657]

If you have the Canadian Army in front of you.

[@Surv1ve_Thrive]

🇬🇧👍🇱🇺 Bedankt.

[@marakujer7269]

Interestning to see the cities 76 years ago. As a german citizen, i go to Hengelo occasionally for near-border drug-tourism😃 .

[@je710817]

Gaaf zeg...vooral als Hengeloer

[@emilymcfadden4360]

I love the Dutch!!

[@TimDutch]

Interresante beelden

[@lynn0MA]

This looks like northern Belgium - it was British sector. - those soup bowl helmits…

[@Vrunck]

It is in the East of the Netherlands

[@lynn0MA]

It had to be in east Netherlands - there is no west of Netherlands, since it’s water. That is if my map reading is right.

[@Vrunck]

@@lynn0MA there’s still east and west, despite the size of the Netherlands

[@Mark-vq5dz]

Yes, British kit , was always behind, bolt action Enfields, Universal Carriers, Cromwell tanks, adequate but not great.

[@MiguelJW]

Soup bowl helmets were worn by US troops too till 1942

[@michaelthomas7178]

War could have been over a year earlier if Monty had not consumed resources while sitting on his ass letting Patton do the fighting.

[@Vrunck]

I don’t agree, because a year earlier the allies hadn’t even invaded Normandy.

[@andrewholburn3094]

@@paulvanh1796 But ambitious end the war. Yed 'Garden' failed, but still provided a bridgehead that allowed the Western Front to have both achieved Berlin and in this case aleviated the Hongerwinter suffering in NL. The blame for not doing both those things should be pointed at Eisenhower, Haig, Rosevelt, Truman and Churchill for lack of initiative and intervention. The Geopolitical consequences are being felt today. There lies the unbridled incompetence, yet the 'western' claim is to be the agreived and for half a century of for further passive aggresive fumbling leading to today's paper nthreats of retaliation

[@kosmokritikos9299]

Heel modderig!

[@bonfoon]

Prachtig!

[@oleriis-vestergaard6844]

Interesting story - funny that the dutch word for war is oorlog -the danish word for a type of warship is an orlogsskib - so we danes have stolen the oorlog word and used it as ours

[@Vrunck]

The Dutch word for orlogsskib = oorlogsschip, which shows the similarity between the Dutch and Danish languages even better. It’s originally from the ‘old Scandinavian’ word Ørlög, so the Danes shouldn’t be worrying about having stolen the word ;) And oorlog isn’t the only word that is similar.

[@semlangenberg1882]

I live in enschede :)

[@paulsmith4467]

My Uncle Robert Oliver Smith of Dublin served in the Irish Guards with the rank of Lance Sergeant and was killed on the 2nd April 1945 to the east of enschede just inside the German border. He is buried in the Eastern Cemetery. His grave was looked after by a local girl named Toos Lansink (Not sure of spelling) She later moved to Zutphen, We always remember her.

[@krzysztofmatuszek]

@@paulsmith4467 I will be there this September. I can guarantee you I'll visit. Was he a Catholic?

[@Vrunck]

​@@paulsmith4467 Sorry for the 'late' reply. I have been at your uncles grave several times in the past 5-6 years actually and I can assure that these graves are still being maintained and looked after. Each year there's a ceremony in April to commemorate the liberation of Enschede and each christmas candles are being placed at the graves. Did you know he served under the alias J. Cassin (which is also the name on the tombstone). I'm not certain about the location where your uncle was killed on April 2nd. Several sources indicate that he died either in the city of Enschede (when his staghound was hit by an 88mm shell) or near a hamlet to south-west of Enschede. kind regards, Frank

[@Vrunck]

@@paulsmith4467 photos.app.goo.gl/m8RiBymnnFvYedDt5 Here’s a link to a photograph of your uncle’s grave that I took 2 years ago.

[@Vrunck]

@@paulsmith4467 I found information about where your uncle likely died that day. He was killed in the city of Enschede and not just inside the German border. He was killed in a firefight to capture a railroad bridge near the city center the Germans defended with armour. If you are interested I can send you the information I have by e-mail. Just let me know where to send it to. Frank

[@edwinsalau150]

God bless!

[@ghostface468]

Zijn de beelden niet in kleuren te maken?

[@Vrunck]

Dat is in principe mogelijk, maar het is een enorme klus om te doen.

[@stormvogel6]

Hoezo? wordt het daarmee een vrolijkere film van? Deze beelden spreken veel meer...niets aan doen, maak van wat "antiek" is geen modern kleurrijk "sprookje"!!!!

[@ghostface468]

@@stormvogel6 daar gaat het hier niet om, mensen zoals ik die spullen uit die tijd verzamelen en die interrese voor hun eigen stad en omgeving en de geschiedenis daarvan hebben die willen graag weten wat van kleuren die insignia van de luftwaffe soldaten waren.. op die manier is te achterhalen wat van eenheden er op Fliegerhorst Twente waren gelegerd😉

[@hanschouwman4536]

Die zogenaamde helden van de BS, lachen.

[@annekekramer3835]

Je bedoelt mensen als Bene (Google maar) die op de laatste dag voor de bevrijding nog 78 mensen van het vuurpeloton hebben gered? Of het verzet in Enschede waardoor juist in Enschede relatief veel Joden de oorlog hebben overleefd? Mensen als dominee Overduin, dat toen hij overleed de rij van mensen die de laatste groet kwamen brengen in zo'n lange rij stonden zoals nog nooit gezien in Enschede? Denk na voordat je wat zegt.... onderwijs jezelf eerst, wel zo verstandig.

[@richardlong7291]

That's a shit thing to say.

[@nielsklarenberg5871]

Han, hoe komen onfatsoenlijke mensen zoals jij toch op het internet? Je weet niet eens hoe je iets moet duiden of beargumenteren. Tip, in de volwassen wereld communiceren we met elkaar door het gebruik van woorden met een betekenis waar men dan op kan reageren. Wat we niet doen is zomaar iets roepen en dan weglopen. Dat is meer iets voor geiten.

[@rikspring]

@@nielsklarenberg5871 Vrijheid van meningsuiting...misschien

[@stevenbills217]

“Liberation”